Herzberg’s Two-Factor Model

 There are several motivational theories that are developed to provide the reasons for certain behaviors of employees and to suggest the best ways to get the best performance from the organizational employees. Further, such motivational theories impact on the ways of managing employees as organizations and assists to develop a motivated workforce (Baah & Amoako, 2011). The two-factor model inclusive of satisfiers and dissatisfiers developed by Fedrick Herzberg in 1957 developed setting a study of engineers’ and Accountants’ satisfiers and dissatisfiers as the basement for the theory (Armstrong , 2006).

The main purpose of two-factor model is to identify the distinction between the satisfiers and dissatisfiers in context of employee motivation also known as the motivational factors and hygiene factors (Ruthankoon & Ogunlana, 2003 & Armstrong , 2006). The needs of the employees are categorized into two groups by Herzberg as, one group of needs require to “develop the personal occupation as a source of growth” known as motivational factors or intrinsic factors and the other part requires a “fair treatment in contexts of compensation, supervision, working conditions and administrative procedures” where second group of needs does not involve in employee job satisfaction improvement or extra performance but to prevent job dissatisfaction and poor performance by employees known as hygiene factors or extrinsic factors (Armstrong , 2006 & Alshmemri, et al., 2017). Those two groups of needs gave rise to the satisfiers (group one) and the second group gave rise to the dissatisfiers which has the primary intention to maintain the same situation (Armstrong , 2006).

Motivational factors and Hygiene factors have been defined in following way.

Satisfiers / Motivational Factors

Dissatisfiers / Hygiene Factors

Advancement

Interpersonal relationship

Work itself

Salary

Possibility of growth

Policies and administration

Responsibility

Supervision

Recognition

Working conditions

Achievement

 

 (Alshmemri, et al., 2017; Riley, 2005 and lrawahi, et al., 2020)

By two-factor theory Herzberg has described that the individuals i.e. the employees can be satisfied and dissatisfied at the same time (lrawahi, et al., 2020)  as two sets of factors work on differential sequences to reduce and to maintain same level of job dissatisfaction with regards to compensation, supervision, working conditions and administrative procedures and to improve motivation by providing development opportunities in personal occupation (Armstrong , 2006).

Motivational Factors

According to Herzberg’s two factor theory motivational factors are pertaining to the job content which are intrinsic in nature and does not occur from “carrot and stick incentives” (Baah & Amoako, 2011). The motivational factors need opportunities for a physical growth in the occupation. In Herzberg’s two factor theory employee motivation does have a strong correlation with job satisfaction and Herzberg and his colleagues argued that there is a positive relationship among job satisfaction and employee motivation. The motivators are considered to be intrinsic as organization helps to achieve their development goals and self-actualization (Alshmemri, et al., 2017). Following factors are motivators.

·       Advancement – Expected and unexpected promotions received by supervisors in Thai construction industry are positive advancements. (Alshmemri, et al., 2017 & Ruthankoon & Ogunlana, 2003)

·       Work itself – The tasks and assignment of jobs meant by work itself. For an example, assigning a civil engineering to supervise a construction of footing is a good allocation which makes it challenging for the employee. Same time allocation of lesser job which is simpler to an engineer would not be suitable. (Alshmemri, et al., 2017 & Ruthankoon & Ogunlana, 2003)

·       Possibility of growth – The chances that are given to an employee to be promoted, including the atmosphere to develop skills related to construction sites and construction techniques. (Alshmemri, et al., 2017 & Ruthankoon & Ogunlana, 2003)

·       Responsibility – An employee should be assigned with proper responsibilities and decision-making authorities which makes him motivated. For an instance, when a senior foreman has given with the autonomy to make decisions on operational matters is a motivational factor. (Alshmemri, et al., 2017 & Ruthankoon & Ogunlana, 2003)

·     Recognition – Recognition is occurred when an employee is praised, when their ideas are given opportunity in construction planning or when blamed by superiors, or by peers. (Alshmemri, et al., 2017 & Ruthankoon & Ogunlana, 2003)

·     Achievement – Positive achievement takes place when specific success is achieved in case of performing difficult construction completely or finding a solution to reduce the construction cost etc. (Alshmemri, et al., 2017 & Ruthankoon & Ogunlana, 2003)

Hygiene Factors

The employee job dissatisfaction in the workplace is avoidable and preventable. Hygiene factors introduced by Herzberg’s two-factor method is related with reducing the job dissatisfaction of employees i.e., preventing the hygiene issues at the workplace (Alshmemri, et al., 2017). The fulfilment of hygiene factors of employee does not result any motivation or improvement of job satisfaction. But it is effective in maintaining the current level of job satisfaction and prevent it converting it to job dissatisfaction (Armstrong , 2006). The hygiene factors also known as the dissatisfiers and extrinsic factors since hygiene factors do react to the environmental factors to avoid any adverse situation (Ruthankoon & Ogunlana, 2003). Following factors are the hygiene factors.

·       Interpersonal relationships – These are the relationships that kept by employees among the employees such as superiors and peers and Co-workers including the personal relationships. For an example, good or bad discussions among employees of construction during tea time. (Baah & Amoako, 2011 Ruthankoon & Ogunlana, 2003)

·       Salary – Appropriate pay for the employees at different levels of employees like masons, site engineers and foreman is a factor that reduces job-dissatisfaction in Thai construction industry according to their experience and qualifications. (Baah & Amoako, 2011 Ruthankoon & Ogunlana, 2003)    

·       Policies and Administration – A way of doing such procedures will affect the job satisfaction level of employees, where amendments to be done to the inappropriate policies which considered to be fair by both employees and employer to keep employees satisfied. (Baah & Amoako, 2011 Ruthankoon & Ogunlana, 2003)

·       Supervision – Supervision deals with the level of competence of supervisors, and their willingness to teach, delegate responsibilities and to provide job knowledge to employees including the fairness of supervisors (Baah & Amoako, 2011). A mason’s level of job satisfaction depends on the supervisor’s nature who works in Thai construction industry (Ruthankoon & Ogunlana, 2003).

·       Working conditions – Physical surrounding of the employer place and its appropriateness in case of facilities is explained by the working conditions (Gunasekara & , 2011). Work conditions are amount of works, tools availability, temperature and ventilation for employees to work (Ruthankoon & Ogunlana, 2003).

 

(Abdulkadir, 2016) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIhJ0Ggf8_w


References

Abdulkadir, N., 2016. Herzberg two factor theory. [Online]
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIhJ0Ggf8_w
[Accessed 05 05 2022].

Alshmemri, M., Shahwan, L. & Maude , P., 2017. Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory. Life Science Journal, 14(5), pp. 12-17.

Armstrong , M., 2006. Human Resource Management Practice. 10 ed. London : Cambridge University Press.

Baah, K. & Amoako, G., 2011. Application of Frederick Herzberg’s Two-Factor theory in assessing and understanding employee motivation at work: a Ghanaian Perspective. European Journal of Business and Management, 3(9).

Gunasekara, U. & K., 2011. An Empirical Study of Herzberg’s Two Factor Theory with Operational Level Employees of Private Banks in Sri Lanka.. Modern Trends in Innovative Management.

lrawahi, S., Sellgren, S., Altouby, S. & Alwahaibi, N., 2020. The application of Herzberg's two-factor theory of motivation to job satisfaction in clinical laboratories in Omani hospitals.

Riley, S., 2005. Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory of Motivation applied to the motivational techniques within fifinancial institutions.

Ruthankoon, R. & Ogunlana, S., 2003. Testing Herzber's two-factor theory in the Thai construction industry. Engineering, construction and Architectural management , 10(5), pp. 333-343.

 

 

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